The Twisted Tails of the Fox-King
by Omniskriba
Summary: When days following Jyou's eighteenth birthday proves to be less than normal, an ancient Kido family secret is revealed- a heritage of supernatural genetics linked to the legendary Kitsune. The gifts of therin comes with a great cost though...
1. The Benedict Curse

~*~  
The Sapphire Lotus Chronicles: Secrets of the Kido Clan  
By Kyoko_Jyou  
~*~  
Warning: Sure, it's tame now, but for how long?  
Author's Note: Another... new... story? Do I have a plan of finishing any of my stories? Of course I would, but because of my very hectic schedule, I have a very big trouble articulating my ideas in one story. The effect is a sudden explosion of plot lines (and plot holes) but trust me, this is the last new series! I will continue adding chapters to the other new fanfics! (Oy vey, I sure am one mixed up kindelach).  
Disavowal: (Something which Disclaims, a Disclaimer.) I don't have money to buy Digimon from Toei. I don't get paid writing this fic either. I'm hating this (but your reviews work for me!).  
~*~  
Chapter One: The Benedict Curse  
~*~  
He's eighteen years old today. Our little brother, Jyou.  
Actually, Shuu and I have had our doubts that he'd live to see this come, what with his saving-the-world responsibilities constantly nagging behind him. Anyway, he did get this far without getting killed, so I guess he's ready for anything.   
Nii-chan has been particularly excited these last couple of weeks, thrilled to witness how our beloved little bundle of nerves would handle the age-old Kido Secret. Oh, the wonders of growing up a Kido. At least, this is major payback for what Shuu did to me when I was eighteen.  
Hmm... enjoy the ride, Jyou. It's gonna be a rough coupla weeks.  
-Shin Kido  
~*~  
Jyou could have sworn he saw a large fang hang from within his mouth, opening wide while brushing his teeth that cold January morning. It was yesterday that he celebrated his eighteenth birthday with the Digidestined and he did have a lot of blue ice beer last night so it wasn't totally unimaginable that he started seeing hallucinations in the morning.  
He simply brushed whatever fang it was that hung there and gurgled like it was nobody's business.  
He didn't even notice the light tufts of his azure hair pockmarking his face, lining his arms, and criss crossing his entire body.  
"G'mornin'"  
Jyou walked on to the breakfast table, pajamas still on. Shin and Shuu simply stared at their little brother who was seemingly oblivious of what was going on. He went by, took a pair of pants and a light blue shirt from a drawer somewhere, and returned to the bathroom.  
"G'mornin Jyou."  
Shin and Shuu looked at him from head to foot, forcing themselves not to snicker at what seemed to be one of the strangest cases of puberty anybody can ever go through. Both of them had gone through it, keeping it secret from their little brother until the time came that he too must face the...  
"GYAAA!!!"  
"Jyou, what's wrong?" Shin asked, nonchalantly.  
"N...n...nothing..." Jyou answered from inside the bathroom.  
"Oh, I never heard nothing cause this much panic. I wonder what's wrong with our little brother."  
"It's nothing! Really!"  
"Nothing, eh? So I don't suppose you've grown a bushy blue tail overnight, have you?"  
"Hey! Is this some sort of prank? If you didn't know, I happen to be allergic to super glue!"  
"It's not a prank, Jyou."  
"Ha ha." Jyou said, sarcastically. "So I suppose this hair is actually mine."  
"In a word, yes."  
"WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DO YOU PLAY ME FOR?"  
"No jokes, Jyou." Shuu replied.  
Jyou stormed out the bathroom wearing his Pajamas, which seemed to have gotten shorter overnight. His slippers didn't seem to fit this morning so he didn't bother forcing them in. A long bushy tail stuck itself on Jyou's back, wriggling like crazy with every word Jyou said.  
"What's going on?" Jyou growled.  
"You're just growing up, Jyou. Relax. Have a cup of coffee."  
"Growing... Growing up? What kind of stupid prank is this? I happen to know for a fact that humans don't grow vestigal tails as they grow older!"  
Jyou found himself yelling at his older brother's face, who was- up till last night- a full head taller than he was.  
"Jyou, listen to us." Shin held him firmly. "We know you're going through a lot these days and we will be with you 100% percent of the way, laughing our heads off for most of that time, but anyway, we will be there."  
"What's going on with me?" Jyou recessed.  
"As we told you before, you're growing up."  
"Growing up into what? I look like a monster!"  
"Hush, don't say that about who you are... actually, about who WE are..."  
"You mean... you guys are also..."  
"Yeah. We drink a special tea to eradicate the fangs and the tail, but we shave all the excess hair ourselves."  
"And trust us, you'd love it this way. Unless of course, if you prefer being a dork all your life..." Shin added.  
"Hey!"  
"Sorry, force of habit. Anyway, you have a lot to learn about these... uh... changes. The sooner, the better."  
"I'm dreaming, ain't I?"  
"Nope. Try biting your tounge."  
Jyou began to press his teeth on the fleshy membrane, stopping in mid bite when he felt a fang prick his tounge.  
"Okay, I'm not dreaming... but... can you tell me what's going on..."  
"One word, Jyou. Kitsune..."  
"I'm not... where not... are we?"  
"Yes we are. And the funny thing is, it's really a family blessing than a family curse."  
"How the heck can you call turning into a wolf-creature into a blessing?"  
"Relax, Jyou. You'll understand in due time. Your body is still adjusting to the freak hormone levels being released into your bloodstream. You'll be alright."  
Something told Jyou this was going to be a very weird couple of days, the floor much more distant than it was the last time he checked.  
~*~  
Strange fics from KJ once again.  
Please Rn'R. Pax Vobiscum, everbody! 


	2. In the Line of Blood

~*~  
Chapter II: In the Line of Blood  
~*~  
"Azure Lotus,  
Sapphire Bloom,  
Emblem of the Nameless Moon...  
Give us strenght,  
And give us power,  
Everlasting midnight flower...  
Azure Lotus,  
Petals Bright,  
Guardian of the Ebon Night...  
Bestow thy gift,  
Bestow it soon,  
Reveal the night's Kitsune Moon..."  
~*~  
Okay, so I promised not to make fun of the little guy...  
Anyway, it was bad enough when I went through it (I remember how Shin had a kick out of that), but there's something about how Jyou tries to rationalize what's going on with him that makes it so funny. I bet he's going through one of the worst Kitsune transformations since great-great-grandpa Shinsuke tried to chop his tail off with a meat cleaver.  
Shin was right. We've could have never imagined Jyou becoming a Kitsune. It was just too weird visualizing Jyou as the strong, wild, virile type. Point taken, he did grow up a lot in his little escapades. He's done the one thing Shin and I could never have done before the... uh... thing: get a girlfriend. He was actually doing pretty well without the extra dosage of bestial hormones, but a little more can't hurt, right?  
Hmm. I'm younger than Shin, but outgrew him because of the Kitsune effect. If the Kitsune effect does get stronger with the youngest member of each generation, Jyou can outgrow me. Imagine that! Oh well, I guess weird things do happen.  
-Shuu Kido  
~*~  
"Relax, Jyou. Calm down. Being a Kitsune doesn't make you a freak. Here, use this." Shin threw him a barber's razor and a canister of shaving cream. Jyou caught it plucked both right in midair, as if by reflex. "I mixed the shaving cream myself. It's an extra-strenght folicle softener and root conditioner."  
Jyou stared at the canister. It read 'Generic Shaving Cream. Nothing Special'. He soon remembered that none of his brothers shared his general sense of ambiguity.  
"Oh, don't flush it all down the toilet. It tends to clog."  
Jyou was beginning to get frustrated for Shin and Shuu's lack of surprise. This seemed all too normal for them right now- far from the myriad querries going through Jyou's mind.  
"I have classes today! I can't go there looking like this!"  
"It's a Sunday, Jyou."  
"Well... I gotta catch up on my reading! I mean... I don't want to be left behind."  
"You got into that advanced class program, didn't you. You're a year ahead, damnit!"  
"Well, I can't go around looking like this!"  
"Don't worry, we'll make you some kitsune tea... of course, there is a setback though..."  
"Wh...what's that?"  
"This is just the first process in turning into a... y'know. I told you, 'shifting' into a Kitsune's like going through puberty. Changes pop up in the most humiliating places" Shuu spoke, nonchalantly.  
"Oh, great, puberty... again. When will the awkwardness stop?"  
"Oh no, Jyou. It won't be awkward. Trust us..."  
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"  
"Maybe because you don't trust you're two bigger brothers?" Shin said, mock innocently.  
"Yup" Jyou answered back.  
~*~  
After a graphically violent incident inside the bathroom with a razor blade and a canister of ultra-strenght shaving cream, Jyou found himself borrowing clothes from Shuu, who's risque style of clothing wasn't too much to Jyou's favor. His body has changed enough to fit perfectly into the attire, but Jyou's mind had kept the vantage point of his body from last night.  
Drinking the tail-remove tea was nothing spectacular. The tail recoiled into his body like a tape measure and his fangs retracted like cat's claws. His skin, on the other hand, was now a patchwork of bandages, with blue strands still finding it's way around hard to shave places.  
Otherwise, Jyou looked... well. He felt stronger than he had ever been in his life, as if someone installed springs on his heels. Shuu and Shin stayed at home, talking about the stuff they did when they were Jyou's age, probably going out grocery shopping later to make Jyou some more tail-remove tea and ultra-strenght cream. Jyou, on the other hand, had only one place in mind: the Odaiba Public Library.  
~*~  
"Koushiro?" The blue-haired boy approached another boy silently, tapping him in the back.  
"Yes... Oh, Shin, I wasn't..."  
"I'm not Shin, it's me, Jyou!"  
"Jyou? Oh, hey! Uh... sorry, I didn't recoognize you... and to tell you frankly... I really still don't... what happened? Does it have anything to do with the party last night? Did you have an allergic reaction? What's your new shoe size? Are you a tenor or a bass? Does sleep actually boost a person's growth? Got milk?"  
"Shhhhh..." A librarian hushed them as she passed by.  
"Koushiro, take it easy. It's still me."  
The auburn kid scanned Jyou from head to foot, matching geek stereotypes with the unfamiliar entity before him. Nothing.  
"You could've fooled me."  
"It's a long story... I don't even know half of it."  
"Uh huh. I see. You do realize that you grew an entire foot taller in a night's time."  
"Yes. And that's not even the strangest part."  
Jyou quickly gave Koushiro a gist of the entire dilemma- from the tail and the fangs, to his now insatiable hunger for tough meats.  
"And you say you've finally ran a full ten meters without collapsing like a pancake?"  
"Exactly."  
"Well, this beats the heck out of me."  
Jyou slumped dissapointedly. He was hoping Koushiro would have pinpointed something by now.  
"The problem is that my brothers won't even tell me. All I know is that they have it too, and some other people in my family does also."  
"Hereditary trait?"  
"I bet."  
Koushiro, laptop conveniently before him instead of books (why he was in the library is totally beyond me), searched for the name 'Kido' on his laptop and cross-categorized the information with strange hereditary cases.  
What they found, though, was beyond strange.  
"Prodigious..."  
"Why... why did I have a feeling you'd say that sometime or another?"  
"Wait, I'm serious... look..."  
Koushiro pointed at the screen, moving his index finger across the lines.  
['Kido'- The Castle Gate Clan: This ancient family of philosophers, thinkers, and healers known throughout the land as soft spoken intellectuals who aided victims of wars from both sides. Hated and mocked by the higher echelons of the ruling clans, the Kido family is said to be defended by a fierce and powerful guardian- Tamamo-no-mae, the Celestial Fox. The Kido Clan actually trace their heritage from Tamamo-no-mae who, disguised as a warrior, was treated by Koryo Kido, back then the last of the Kido Clan and village doctor of Hikone Village. Tamamo-no-mae, a ruthless and spiteful creature, had waged war against the clans and vowed to rule Japan with his army of Kitsune, the werefoxes. Defeated, he was aided by Koryo on a battlefield, taking him home with him. Tamamo-no-mae, in debted with his life, promised to repay Koryo by allowing the Kido lineage to continue by causing Koryo's daughter, Inari, to bear a son... a kitsune yes, but still a Kido. From then on, according to legend, the usually amicable Kidos attained Kitsune blood, their aggressive and virile traits randomly distributed along the descendants of Inari and Tamamo-no-mae.]  
"You don't think..."  
"It's probably just..."  
"A legend, but it fits perfectly..."  
"I know..."  
"So, what happens to me now?"  
"I'll check more sites... lemme see if Kitsune pops out anywhere..."  
~*~  
Sometimes change is good.  
Creepy... but good. 


	3. The Kitsune Becometh

~*~  
Chapter III: The Kitsune Becometh  
~*~  
"Ah, my beloved daughter-in-law. You have come." Spoke a strange, nine-tailed creature on an alabaster throne, his golden paw raised in benediction.  
"It is my pleasure to gaze upon thy face again, your eminence."  
"Hush, child. You know I am not too fond of these formalities."  
"Yes, master."  
"Hmm. As you may know, the Sapphire Lotus hath bloomed not too long ago. You do know what this means, do you not, my dear?"  
"Yes, of course..."  
"The time is at hand, dearest. You have given your husband and home great honor to have given birth to such a noble offspring. I could not expect any less from the daughter of Vesperus."  
"It pleases my father greatly to join your ranks, my lord."  
"Very well then. Bring me Sapphire Lotus at once. I have waited for this time since forever... and at last, it is all coming into accord. Go, my dearest. Return to Odaiba. It is time you bring me your son... you have my blessing..."  
"Thank you... master"  
~*~  
"Here it is, Jyou. I've found an entry on Kitsune."  
"What's it say."  
"Well, if you are what you think you are... brace yourself. I don't think you'd be partucularly excited about this. Of course, we all will."  
"Geez, can you cut the pretense and tell me already!"  
"Okay, fine. Here it goes..."  
-Click-  
[According to legend, Kitsune are born as humans- usually weak, frail, and susceptible to sunlight and certain plants (Kitsune are carnivorous). While they go through the natural stages of growth of a normal human being, they become increasingly larger and stronger at the age of eighteen when sexual maturity triggers their true biochemistry.  
According to folklore, kitsune begin their transformation sequence a night after their eighteenth birthdays. On the first night, they usually sprout the tell-tale signs of a long bushy tail, fangs, claws and thick fur like hair. It is also possible that a kitsune grow up to another 12 inches in height during the night.]  
"Hey, Jyou, d'ya think you can... y'know... transfer some of that growth hormones into me... uh... just for an experiment..."  
"Sure, what the heck. Now, do you mind if we continue reading?"  
[On the second night, the teen is said to change the most dramatically since it is the mind itself that becomes the Kitsune. While unbestial as most would expect, kitsune are exceptionally libidinous and violent- owing this fact to a great increase in mass during the past morning. It should be said, though, that the kitsune is a particularly cunning creature. Sinisterly wise, it has a certain level of suaveness, a contrast to the usual demeanor of it's past self]  
"That's so true!"  
"Shut up, Koushiro!"  
"Okay, okay..."  
[Only in the third night will the kitsune achieve it's true form- the form of a monstrous red haired fox. This is why all kitsune possess red hair.]  
"Hey, wait a second! That can't be right! I have BLUE HAIR!"  
"Well, I can see that" Koushiro spoke as he motioned his eyes on the curly patch on Jyou's forearms.  
"Does this mean that I'm not a Kitsune?"  
"I wouldn't rule that out yet... I bet we're just missing a piece in the genetic puzzle..."  
"Aww, let's leave it missing for the moment. I'm starving. Let's get ourselves some burgers."  
~*~  
On their way to a local Mc Donald's...  
"JYOU!"  
"Nyeaaah!"  
Splag...  
"Jy...jyou? Huh?"  
Mimi, how nice of you to... hang around" Koushiro remarked, seeing Mimi dangle from Jyou's shoulders, her feet half a foot away from the ground.  
"That's funny, I don't remember Jyou being this far off the pavement before."  
"Your boyfriend's going through a lot of... changes lately.  
"Yeah, you might say that."  
"Changes? You? The most predictable man on the face of the planet? Well... now that you've mentioned it... you do look... different. Did you get a hair cut?"  
"No."  
"Manicure?"  
"No"  
"Perm?"  
"No?"  
"Body wax?"  
"No?"  
"Gym treatment?"  
"Heck no. Mimi... it's just me going through... stuff."  
"Hey, since when did it have to be just you going through stuff. You usually pulled me into things like this!"  
"Mimi, trust me, it's not pretty."  
"What's not pretty?" Mimi scan's Jyou from head to foot. "I like these... changes. What happened anyway? Don't tell me you woke up like this?"  
"Yes he did."  
"Jyou? Is that true?"  
"Yup."  
"Okay, I'm not even going to ask. Uh... I was going to tell you something... but Koushiro's here so..."  
"I won't be listening! Promise!"  
"Oh very well, listen all you want."  
"Huh?"  
"Nevermind. Uh, Jyou, do you mind coming over to our house... tonight..."  
"Well... uh... that would be..."  
Mimi's eyes suddenly went puppy dog. Jyou melts. Point to Mimi!  
"Great. See ya tonight!"  
"Papa wants to meet the Doctor I'm going to marry. Be there!"  
"Yeah!"  
Mimi runs off, exit staaaaage... somewhere.  
"What have you done? If you really are a kitsune, do you think it's safe for you to go like this? You know... the mind thing..."  
"Relax, Koushiro. Remember, we're not even sure I'm a Kitsune!"  
"Jyou, you just said 'relax, didn't you?"  
"Yes, why?"  
"Oh, nothing. It's just an omen that you might find yourself SCREWED THE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!"  
"Thanks, Koushiro, I needed that extra boost of confidence."  
"Much Obliged, Jyou. Much obliged.  
~*~  
Please R&R!!! 


	4. The Bittersweet Taste of Change

~*~  
Chapter IV: The Bittersweet Taste of Change  
~*~  
"Sir, we have received reports that the Perfect Hybrid Anthromorph should have matured by now."  
"Any idea of the Hybrid's location? How about his identity?"  
"No sir."  
"Search every genetic data bank. The United States Government will pay hansomely for this catch."  
"Yes sir. Do you wish to have the Anthromorph alive, sir?"  
"Yes. I want him alive and well. We cannot have his kin sensing his pain. Find him and lure him here."  
"As you wish sir. Over and out."  
~*~  
"My... aren't we charming this evening..."  
Jyou borrowed an extra pair of slacks from Shuu and a neatly pressed blue shirt from Shin. His face neatly shaven, his hair combed back, tied to the end with a scarlet ribbon. His black glasses flashed brightly.  
"Here..." Shuu threw him a small spray bottle.  
"What's this for?"  
"It's a pheromone snuffer. You wouldn't like Mimi crawling all over you in front of her Dad, do you?"  
"Yes... I mean No... I mean... wha?"  
"Kitsune lesson number one- sometime within the second night, Kitsune develop a high-intensity pheromone gland. Drives women... of all species... crazy."  
"You say it like it was a bad thing."  
"It is. Remember that broken pelvis I had last month?"  
"Yes..."  
"Don't ask, won't tell."  
"It was an 'affair-induced-injury'" Shin said while passing by. "Oh yeah, here's the moped keys. Quit telling everybody it's your's."  
"But it IS mine!"  
"Grandma told us it was for the three of us."  
"She did not!"  
"Did too!"  
"Did not!"  
"Did too!"  
"Did not!!!" Jyou's voice barked, his eyes glaring red, his teeth snarled.  
"Okay, I get your point. Take it easy. You might transform again... and we're out of pressed clothes so you'd have to wear the ones I just cleaned."  
~*~  
"Hello, Kido Residence?"  
"Hello, Shuu?"  
"No, this is Shin speaking. Koushiro, is that you?"  
"Yes. It's me."  
"I'm sorry, but Jyou's not around. He went to Mimi's house."  
"Uh... actually, I called to talk to you guys."  
"Oh. What for?"  
"It's about Jyou. Y'know... the changes."  
"Oh... that. What about it?"  
"Is he... are you... really..."  
"Kitsune? Look... it might sound strange... but I asure you..."  
"But you're not redheads."  
"What?"  
"Redheads. Kitsune are supposed to have red hair. You don't."  
"I'm not getting this. Dad said..."  
"Whatever it is your Dad said, it might not be exactly accurate. You may not be... y'know... purely Kitsune..."  
"I... I... don't understand..."  
"Look, what color hair is your Dad?"  
"Black..."  
"Auburn..." Shuu yelled from the dinner table. "Dad was born Auburn. His hair turned black for some reason after marrying Mom."  
"Shuu said my Dad was an Auburn. But he's not a kitsune. We were the ones who got the gene."  
"How about your mother... anything about her genes that might have caused this change?"  
"Well... My Mom's Dad was American, although we never really met him. I think his name's Vespers... Vespuss..."  
"Vesperus, Shin. Grandpa's name is Vesperus"  
"Shuu says his name's Vesperus..."  
"Vesperus... eh... got it!"  
"Got what?"  
"A file on Vesperus!"  
"Koushiro, Vesperus was our Granfather."  
"Well, does he have a last name?"  
"Come to think of it... no he didn't."  
"Hmm... according to this file, Vesperus was a creature which stalked the Rocky Mountains as the lord of the Wendigos, werewolf-like kinfolk which..."  
"Koushiro! Vesperus was our grandfather."  
"And so was Tamamo-no-mae... and he was a nine-tailed fox!"  
"Point taken. But what does this have to do with us?"  
"Plenty. Vesperus is a Wendigo and so is your mother."  
"Yeah. So?"  
"Carrying the genes of the Wendigo, you three are only part Kitsune..."  
"Hmmm... I was wondering why none of us looked like foxes."  
"That's only part of it... both Tamamo and Vesperus have been known to have tried to raise armies against mankind... although they were ultimately defeated."  
"Uh huh..."  
"I'm wondering... what if Vesperus and Tamamo tried to..."  
"Sh*t!"  
"What?"  
"Jyou!"  
"I'm not really used to being kept from the light... but what is it with Jyou?"  
"Koushiro, meet Shuu and I in the Odaiba pharmacology lab. Call your friend Yamato."  
"Yamato?"  
"Yes. We'll explain later. I just remembered something Dad once told us..."  
"Wha? Oh... okay..."  
-click-  
~*~  
"So, you're Jyou. It's very nice to meet you."  
"Dad, you've already met him. He went with me... to that thing in the sky... remember?"  
"Oh, you were there? Which one where you?"  
"I was the four-eyed geek with the sweater."  
"Oh, I remember you. Quite a geeky young lad, you were. I'm sorry, but I hardly recoognized you."  
"Frankly sir, I hardly reccognize myself sometimes..."  
"What was that."  
"Nothing..."  
"Oh, well, did you like dinner? I had that specially prepared."  
"What was it? It was great."  
"Quails in Rose Petal Sauce."  
Jyou suddenly thought back... he was allergic to both Quail and Roses. Why wasn't he getting a reaction. Weird...  
"I loved it!"  
"Good. I like a man with discerning taste."  
Jyou chuckled slightly and so did Mr. Tachikawa.  
Mimi took a quiet contentment in seeing his two favorite men get along.  
This contentment was short lived though...  
"Uh... excuse me for a second..."  
"Jyou, what's wrong?"  
"Nothing, Meems... just... just a sec..."  
Jyou rushed into the Tachikawa bathroom.  
He looked at his wristwatch.  
Ten-thirty five.  
He felt another insurge of hormones flush through his veins.  
This time... it drove him into a near bestial state of mind...  
The Animal within claims his very person...  
Body... mind... spirit...  
Jyou tried to close the door without slamming it.  
He looked at himself in the Tachikawa's gargantuan bathroom mirror.  
He was, agan, growing. Even Shuu's pants were a few sizes too short. The tiled floor seemed farther away than usual. Again, that inhuman strenght. Jyou wished he was afraid, but he wasn't. He enjoyed it deeply.  
"Jyou, what's wrong?"  
"Nothing..."  
"What's wrong with your voice..."  
"NOTHING!"  
"Okey-doke..."  
Jyou stared at his form for a few moments. With the Kitsune tea doing it's job, he kept his form human... yet it was a form as far from being Jyou-ish as possible.  
Tall and sinisterly masculine, he had finally understood the Kitsune mindset... one of fierce violence, inhuman strenght, and unsatiable lust...  
Meanwhile...  
"I can sense your power Sapphire Lotus...  
You have grown powerful, as I have forseen this many centuries...  
The most venerable of my minions... no... my own son...  
Together, I shill give you this world and you shall conquer it...  
Together we will rule mankind...  
Sapphire Lotus..."  
~*~  
Interactive Qustion: Please cite this on your review (please review!)  
Do you want me to:  
a.) Turn this story into a NC17 Lemon/Suspense-Thriller  
b.) Keep the story going on the present rating. 


	5. The Twin Chains of Fate

~*~  
Chapter IV: The Twin Chains of Fate  
~*~  
Author's Note: 'Retain Rating' wins by popular demand... although that doesn't mean I can't write a fic spinoff for the folks who voted for 'Raise Rating'... it's win-win for everybody!  
~*~  
"What's all the fuss about?" Yamato said, still trying to brush the sleep stuff from his eyes, adjusting them to the bright night lights in the streets of Uptown Odaiba.  
Koushiro's red Volkswagen Beetle raced down the streets at 55 mph, avoiding the odd pedestrian still up at this ungodly hour.  
"I'm not exactly sure myself..." Koushiro muttered under his breath as he stepped on the pedal.  
Street lamps lined each street corner, although the lights slowly dimmed as the car approached the seedy back alleys leading to the Odaiba Pharmacology Lab. Shin and Shuu were waiting...  
~*~  
"Daddy... I think something's wrong with... Daddy! What are you watching?"  
Mimi could have sworn she saw Jyou on the big screen monitor facing Mr. Tachikawa, although she soon waved the thought from her brunette head, seeing the young man on the screen transform into... into..."  
"Mimi..." Her father's face soured upon seing his daughter. "Your boyfriend..."  
"What were you doing... and is that our guest bathroom?"  
"Yes..."  
"Who... or what... is that?"  
"It's... it's..."  
Mimi looked at the screen closer...  
Dangling from the man's thick neck was a familiar silver crucifix... a gift she had given Jyou as a present on the first Christmas they were a couple...  
"Daddy... what's... what's going on? That can't be Jyou... can it?"  
"I'm afraid it is..."  
"But..."  
"Mimi... your boyfriend... isn't human..."  
"What do you mean he isn't human? Of course he's human! And besides, that thing in the monitor's still human... isn't it?"  
After another a brief look, Mimi could have sworn her heart kicked. It that was Jyou in there, she would have never imagined that her attraction to him would ever be physical.  
"Mimi you must understand. Jyou... comes from a long line of shape shifters. He is a beast, not a human being... who knows what he'll do to you..."  
"Daddy..." Mimi's eyes "...that's..."  
"It's true Mimi... I received a call earlier today telling me that they've found a perfect species combining two powerful shape shifters. Jyou was the specimen."  
"So that's why you asked him here! You wanted to capture him, didn't you..."  
"Mimi... please understand..."  
"What's there to understand!?" Mimi ran off upstairs to find Jyou.  
"MIMI!!!"  
Running as fast as she could, she headed for the door of the guest bathroom, misty eyed...  
Suddenly, a THUD!...  
She looked up to see what she had hit, finding herself in Jyou's embrace.  
His shirt notwithstanding, Mimi could feel his heartbeat hammering underneath his chest. A thick scent of aloes waffled through Mimi's olfactory nerves, hotwiring her brain to keep her from moving.  
"Mimi..." A deep yet familiar voice whispered above her... "I have to go..."  
"Wha?"  
"I said... I really have to go?"  
"Wha was tha?"  
"Mimi..."  
"Jyou..."  
Jyou suddenly realized what was happening and quickly pulled Shin's little spray canister out from a pocket and sprayed it onto himself. He suddenly reeked of the smell of rotting fish...  
"ECCCH! What was that for?"  
At least it snuffed Jyou's musk.  
"I have to go Mimi..."  
Mimi almost didn't recoognize the person she was speaking to.  
"Jyou... is that you in there?"  
"Sorta... Anyway, I have to go..."  
Jyou kissed Mimi gently... passionately on the lips before he sprinted out the corridor, leaving the poor brunette lying on the floor. Racing down the stairs, he found himself on the receiving end of a shotgun.  
"Not so fast, Hybrid..."  
Jyou didn't hesitate to attack, jumping as high as his new legs could take him. Before Mr. Tachikawa could pull on the trigger, he had lunged at him, swiping the shotgun off his hand and into the wall, having it fire onto the ceiling.  
"I'm sorry to be impolite, Mr. Tachikawa, but I'm not the sort of guest who would allow my self to be killed on the first meeting. Might I suggest we do this again sometime..."  
Even Jyou couldn't believe how cooly he was handling this. Or how he was able to overpower a man with a shotgun.  
Standing erect once again, undeniably human yet undeniably bestial in nature, he left Mr. Tachikawa's frightened body on the carpet, very shallow claw marks grazing his neck. He nonchalantly took his overcoat and headed out for the door, the entering wind blowing his azure ponytail up in the air.  
On the doorstep ot though, he soon discovered that someone was waiting for him...  
"Mom?"  
"Good evening. How'd your date go?"  
"Well... but this doesn't explain... what are you... when did you... Mom?!"  
"Come, your grandfather is expecting you..."  
Jyou kept silent. His mother and father left for an Oncology Symposium in Dubai, Saudi Arabia last Thursday. What the heck is she doing here?  
~*~  
"So, what's going on already?" Asks Yamato, annoyed.  
Shin gave him a comb. Yamato promptly took it and groomed himself. That sure shut him up.  
"No really, what's going on?" Asks Koushiro.  
"It's about Jyou."  
"Yeah, I sorta figured that out"  
"He's in really big trouble..."  
"What kind?" Yamato spoke, still trying to tame his wild blond locks.  
"Remember that thing you said about Tamamo and Vesperus trying to team up?"  
"Yeah, so?"  
"We think that it might have already happened."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Were hybrids, Koushiro. We took the best Kitsune and Wendigo traits when Mom and Dad had us. That's why we don't look like animals when we shape shift... 'cept maybe for the tail."  
"I'm not getting any of this" Yamato remarked.  
"You haven't seen Jyou after the party, have you?"  
"No, why."  
"You'll understand. Anyway, we think that Dad might have done this intentionally. He once told us that grandfather would be wanting to have a word with Jyou after his transformation."  
"Which one?" Koushiro asked."  
"Possibly both."  
"I think I get what your saying now... but why'd you have to have both of us here? You could have only told me on the telephone!"  
"Well, we will be needing your help in finding Jyou, before Tamamo or Vesperus gets any ideas."  
"Same question... why us..."  
Shin stood up and layed a heave hand on Koushiro's shoulder. "Have you ever asked yourself what your biological mother's maiden name was?"  
"No, I don't think that I have."  
"She was a Kido, Koushiro. She carried part of the Kitsune gene in her."  
"But I... can't be a kitsune... the gene was passed by an X-chromosome..."  
"That's where HE comes in..." Shin said, pointing at Yamato.  
~*~  
To be continued.  
Until then Peace, Prosperity, and the Fifteen Isles of Horkborgistan! 


	6. Into the Lair of the Fox King

~*~  
Chapter V: To the Lair of the Fox King  
~*~  
"Daddy!" Mimi approached her father's body, breathing heavily in the carpet. "You tried to kill him, didn't you?" She yelled, spotting the shotgun which laid on the floor.  
"Mimi..."  
"I don't care what kind of creature he is or where he came from... I..."  
"He does not deserve your compassion, Mimi... He is a beast. Our family has hunted his kind like wild animals since the age of the Shoguns. You belong to this heritage..."  
"Daddy..."  
Mimi's eyes welled with tears. She couldn't raise a slapping hand at her own father, but she was currently being tempted into doing a number on his face...  
She looked at him one last time, turned back, and headed for the door.  
Both Jyou or the woman who came to pick him up was no longer there...  
~*~  
"Mom... what's going on?"  
"Okay, let me cut the charade. When your father and I told you we were going to the Oncology Symposium, we were not exactly too honest with you."  
"I think I've already figured that out."  
"Actually, we left to prepare for your appointment with your Grandfathers..."  
"Grandpas? I didn't know I still had any."  
"Actually, these ones aren't exactly our parents."  
"Oh?"  
"Think of them as being several generations older..."  
The Black Luxury Sedan slid gracefully over the night cityscape, it's dark paint job reflecting the lights perfectly.  
~*~  
"Okay, I'll ask you guys one more time... why exactly am I here?" Yamato asked, tired and sleepy.  
"Good question. As a matter of fact, we were getting into that." Shin remarked. "Remember how you were able to evolve Garurumon to Were Garurumon for the first time?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Jyou was the reason why your crest glowed, is that correct?"  
"Yes. Hey, how'd you know?"  
"Jyou told us. Anyway, your digivice did turn Garurumon into a lycanthrope, yes?"  
"Uh..."  
"Yes it did." Koushiro answered, still a bit shaken after discovering that his mother was a Kido."  
"We believe that Were Garurumon was actually formed by Jyou's DNA splicing with that of Garurumon's during digivolution. That's why Garurumon and Metal Garurumon has pretty much the same body structure while Were Garurumon is of a totally different mold."  
"So?" Koushiro asked.  
"If the Crest of Friendship was able to unlock Jyou's lycanthrope genes to match with Garurumon's... maybe..."  
"Of course! I can unlock my own lycanthrope genes with the same crest, then use the crest energy to allow myself to digivolve... prodigious! Hey..."  
Everybody stared at Koushiro, both Shin and Shuu trying to imagine Koushiro as a Kitsune.  
"I don't have a choice do I?"  
"Nope. And I must warn you, this is permanent. You'll be stuck with those genes pretty much for the rest of your life."  
"Besides, I think he could use it..." Shuu added.  
"Hey! What was that for?"  
"Nothing -cough*Miyako*cough- "  
"If you don't mind, can you please just use my digivice to get this over with?"  
Shin swiped the digivice from Yamato's hand and headed straight for the interior of the pharmacology lab.  
Everybody followed him, walking past the corridors to a lightly lit room crammed to the brim by an enormous machine with over fifty computer monitors and a single keyboard.  
Cylinders of bluish and reddish see-through liquid lined the walls, connected to the machine by thick rubber tubes. Pumps murmured in the background... the machine was turned on.  
"How did you avail of this machine?" Koushiro asked, wide-eyed.  
"You never wondered what we Kido boys do in the summer, have you?"  
"I always thought you went to Med School Camp or something" Yamato yawned.  
"We built this for an experiment- using Jyou's crest in turning our black dog white with purple spots."  
"A data-converting gene splicer?"  
"Yes."  
"Prodigious..."  
~*~  
The Black Luxury Sedan drove into the heart of a deep wood, mysteriously lined with a very well maintained cobblestone road. The road led to the gates of a stone castle, standing on the face of a crag formation overlooking a crystal blue lake.  
Without provocation, the gates swung open and the car continued into the castle where a crowd seemed to have gathered to greet them.  
"Jyou, your grandfathers await..."  
"Mom... where are we?"  
"This is Genko Castle, our ancestral home."  
"Nice place..."  
Jyou stepped out of the car, his head higher than it has ever been from the soles of his feet.  
The crowd was composed of strange looking people, their faces distorted yet strangely beautiful.  
The women each wore dresses of scarlet, their bodies alluring and seductive.  
The men each wore traditional Kitsune armor, their stature tall and their bodies strong.  
Walking steadily through the aisle, he soon found himself under the chandelier-lit Grand Hall of the Castle... and the presence of Tamamo No Mae and Vesperus of the Americas.  
"This, Vesperus is our grandson, the Sapphire Lotus of prophecy. He has bloomed well, wouldn't you say?"  
"Indeed, he is strong. Very..."  
Jyou didn't listen, even if his hearing had become twentyfold in magnitude.  
He was increasingly feeling something coming... and urge...  
~*~  
Koushiro watched as the machine lit up, converting the Crest of Friendship into genetic material.  
His hands were already strapped to a hypodermic spray pad (no needles here, folks). Soon he will become...  
Soon...  
Chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga...  
Soon...  
Chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga...  
SOON...  
Chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga- chugga... CHUG...  
"I think were done!" Shuu exclaimed.  
"I feel weird..." Koushiro remarked.  
"Give it some time. You'll feel much weirder in a few hours."  
~*~  
That's all for now. Until the next chapter, RnR everybody and Peace!  
In the meantime, try some of my other fics!  
Dark Trine, the Sequel to the Secret of the SilverCross on it's 9th Chapter! 


	7. Consecration Unto Darkness

~*~  
VII: Consecration into Darkness  
~*~  
Something was definitely unsettling about Genko Castle. An eerie hush of silence in a grand hall full of people, broken only by the sound of piano music and the boisterous conversation between Tamamo-no-mae and Vesperus- a exquisite golden-furred fox with nine long, flowing tails and a handsome sapphire-coated wolf adorned with Navajo beadwork- both lying down on imperial blue satin pillows decked onto pedestals of alabaster.  
"Welcome, son of Kido." Tamamo spoke, digging his crystaline claws deeper into his pillow.  
"You... you can talk!"  
"What, you've never seen a fox talk before?"  
"Not to my recollection."  
"Tamamo..." Vesperus reproached. "The boy grew up as a human. You don't expect him to know anything about us."  
"Hmm, you're probably correct. It would probably easier for him to talk to people, would'nt you think so?"  
"I suppose"  
Suddenly, Tamamo leaped from his pedestal and right before Jyou's eyes, the golden fox turned into a human being cloaked in bright gold robes. His hair was long, tied into nine long ponytails reminiscent of his own nine tails. Only a pair of fox ears and fangs could be distinguished from his former state. On his right hand was a long crystal cane which he tapped onto the floor as he walked.  
"Now, where was I? Oh yes... erhm... welcome, son of Kido. Let me introduce myself..."  
"You're Tamamo-no-mae, aren't you?"  
"My name is Tama... yes, that is correct. I don't suppose you know why you have been brought here, do you?"  
"Uh... not really."  
"Good. I see you have been growing a lot tonight."  
Jyou glanced at his ill-fitting clothes. They were ripping and torn at places, especially on his sleeves and at the bottons of his shirt.  
"How observant..." Jyou said in snide.  
"Y'know, I would have expected you to have at least flinched when you saw me turn human."  
"Well, if you've seen a tiny, baby seal turn into a big, fat hairy walrus one time too many, you'd be desensitized too."  
"I like you're attitude kid. Really makes a grandpa proud to have a grandson like you."  
"So it is true!"  
"You've been blowing up since yesterday morning and you've just proven you're legendary heritage now? For a Kido, I would have expected a quicker response."  
"Relax, Tamamo. The kid's going through a lot." Vesperus remarked. "It's not everyday you grow an entire foot in forty-four hours."  
A grin crossed Tamamo's face as he approached Jyou. He slid his slender fingers across the young man's angular face.  
"My, aren't we an attractive young lad. Sorta reminds me of myself..."  
"Don't kid yourself, Tamamo" Vesperus cuts in again. "You know, very well that my genes make up his DNA as much as your's does."  
"True... I was only pointing out that the ones for good looks came from me."  
Vesperus snubbed this remark and continued to rest on his pillow.  
Jyou only stood silently.  
"Now, then, my child. You have been brought here tonight for your consecration into the Pack. Jyou... I have long waited to have you here beside me, you- the most perfect of shifters..."  
"Shifters? Aren't I a Kitsune?"  
"A Kitsune, yes, but also a whole lot more. Jyou... you have been raised high above the likes of Kitsune, above the Werewolves and the Wendigos of this Earth. Jyou, you are the perfection of our evolutionary line... a merge of all the bloodlines of all the shifters. In your veins run the apex of our perfection."  
"Wha?"  
"I said you're pretty damn great, Jyou. Pretty, pretty darn great."  
"Thanks..."  
~*~  
Meanwhile...  
"I can't keep Koushirou."  
"Well so can't we!"  
"Please, would you guys SHUT UP!" Koushirou snorted angrily. His eyes were glowing strangely, like fox eyes in the dark. "I can go home by myself!"  
"Oh no you're not" Shin reprimanded. "Not like this. Besides, look at you. You're starting to look like a hobo!"  
"I am NOT!"  
"Pipe down" Shuu asked, although he was answered by a quick claw swipe at his face. Shuu, endowed with Kitsune reflexes, blocked the swipe.  
"A bit violent are'nt we?"  
Yamato only stared wide eyed as the once docile Koushirou was being calmed down from trying to claw a person's eyes out.  
"Don't worry, Yama. It's very natural for Koushirou to act violently around other Kitsune. We can handle each other pretty well."  
"And around... humans?"  
"Oh, we don't usually attack human beings... until the full moon strikes. Then, we really have no control of what we do."  
"You... don't?"  
"That's when we go down the woods to hunt for deer and bears or some other poor creature. We try to stay away from you puny simple folk at our time of the month.  
"Hey, I resent that remark."  
"Yeah, well what are you gonna do about it."  
Yamato just remembered that even if he did have a body everybody back in his highschool considered moderately 'buff', he was skeletal compared to these two guys. Now, also including Koushirou.  
"So, I guess I'd be going home now... huh..."  
"I'd wait for Koushirou if I were you."  
Yamato dared not grumble. All he could do was wait in the dark alley with the shadows of three gargantuan beast-men over him.  
"Damn... I need my beauty sleep..."  
~*~  
Please R n' R  
~*~ 


End file.
